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The intimidation tactics continued as Legend bared fangs and sat forward on its paws, looking ready to pounce at any second. Fire began smoldering in a controlled wisp in Legend's mouth, further adding to the intimidation and noticeably making Zigzagoon hesitate in its resolve. As Zigzagoon began to question whether or not it was a smart idea to keep antagonizing the obviously larger and tougher fire pupper, Legend leapt forward, paws outstretched and ready to crush the small raccoon in a show of dominance.

Two things stopped Legend from fully pulverizing Zigzagoon, however. Turning the sweetest face it possibly could towards the incoming attacker, Zigzagoon showed soft, bright pleading eyes to it;s powerful foe, which made Arcanine's powerful smash turn into a softer landing. The other was much more important; small cries could be heard behind the bush as Legend landed near it, and his attack pulled away part of the bush to reveal four small Zigzagoon pups, all with stripes starting to form, giving off small hungry cries for their mother. No wonder Zigzagoon had been so resourceful earlier; Pokemon and human alike would have to be to raise four children!

Legend sauntered back over as the new development washed over the party, and as Zigzagoon, less concerned about her pups being hungry as she was about the intruders, now took her turn to bare fangs and claws as she took a defensive stance in front of her litter.

The adorable eyes of the Zigzagoon had their intended effect on Evan, as well. He gave a half smile that he'd judged the situation correctly. He slipped the Pokedex back into his pocket, then used a free hand to gesture Sam and Gamma to move back and away from the scene.

He kept his voice low as he addressed Arcanine. "Okay, buddy, we reminded it about why it's protecting the area. No need to hurt it too much, let's back away slowly. If it charges you, give it a good roar to scare it back into the bush." Evan slowly pulled the canteen from his belt, doing his best to make no sudden moves as he backed away from the other Pokemon.

Legend followed suit, never turning his back on the foe but satisfied it would be the victor if the battle continued. He moved towards where Evan's voice came from, seeking a splash of the cool water to remove the last of the grit from his eyes.
@weirlind120;

Evan did what any normal person would do; slowly back away, hoping to show they meant no harm to the mother and her pups. He motioned at San, as if saying "Let's go, shouldn't disturb her any more than we have already," which San took great pride in. With pups, it would be pretty hard to capture the Zigzagoon, but it wasn't unheard of, and San was glad that Evan chose to back off.

Zigzagoon looked relieved as well. It kept its guard up, constantly staring down the party, but started to move back towards her children and pulling the bush back. San was sure that soon, the mother would be off to find some nuts or berries for her children, and all would be right as rain again for the family. San was eager to press on now, knowing this Trainer was very capable, as well as empathetic.

Once they were a reasonable distance away, San told Evan, 'You can probably wash Legend's eyes out now," noticing Evan pulling his canteen out, and they would continue once Legend was in tiptop shape again.

Evan nodded and Legend sidled up beside him. He unscrewed the cap on the canteen and dribbled a stream of water onto Arcanine's face. After his friend had blinked the debris from his eyes, Evan poured some into his hand and let Legend lap it up before putting the bottle away.

"Well, that one was certainly less friendly than Smokey," he said. "I thought that usually Zigzagoon lived closer to woods and forests, rather than in open grasslands."

Arcanine padded over to the edge of the path and sat down, tongue out as he surveyed the sights and scents of the meadow. They would continue soon enough.
@weirlind120;

Once Legend had been properly treated, they began walking again. It was a refreshing, cleansing feeling; a feeling of victory after a hard fought battle, and the outcome was perfect as well. The only thing that could possibly go any better on this excursion would be a capture for Evan, but San figured that'd happen soon enough. Legend also looked like it could take on any of the other Pokemon they came across easily, having taken minimal damage from the Zigzagoon, so San really wasn't worried much. Evan was a smart battler, too, and San was excited to see more as they continued.

The floral smell was delightful as they continued on one of the many man-made paths through the Gardens, though San did wonder if it was as nice for Legend, with his more sensitive nose. Legend's red-orange fur complimented the reds, purples, yellows and greens of the flowers and foliage of the park though,, and San couldn't help imagining getting lost in that fur, napping among the flowers and wildlife and...

A sound above pulled San from his daydream. Rustling, and the feeling of eyes on them... Would Evan decide to investigate? Or should they keep walking?

Evan didn't have the same sense of awareness as San, missing the rustle entirely. A flash of blue to the side of the path did catch his eye; stepping into the grass that came to the top of his boots, he carefully walked over to investigate. It appeared to be part of the rind of a round, blue berry. Gnaw marks around the edges suggested a Pokemon had been the one eating it, and small patches of bent grass showed that something had prowled away after its breakfast.

He followed the patches as they wound around a couple of the leafy bushes, before leading back towards San and Gamma. Evan shaded his eyes against the low morning sun, seeing a few nibbles on wildflower petals in the middle of a larger clearing between himself and the guide. Legend seemed vaguely alert - Arcanine had picked up another scent but wasn't sure where it was coming from.

Evan raised his voice slightly and called out. "Ranger San, it looks like another Pokemon was here, but I'm not sure how recently. The way the dew is gone makes me think it's been this morning sometime. What do you think it might be, and would it be worth trying to track it down?" @weirlind120;

Evan walked over to the gnawed on berry, eager to find some clue as to what left it behind and what they were tracking. He inquired to San for help identifying what had eaten part of the berry, as well as some shoots a short ways away, but San wasn't sure he could tell him; it wasn't much to decipher, and even more weirdly, there were no tracks or anything to remotely suggest anything walked through here, other than the eaten foliage. San was about to turn back to Evan and move them outta there when a large rustle of leaves, a flash of wings, and a lard scraw interrupted both of them. San recoiled instinctively, protecting his head, but nothing had gone for him; when he recovered, Evan was frozen right near the berry, a small blue bird perched on his shoulder, flitting about while looking directly at Evan.

The Taillow's red and white belly told San instantly what it was, and he visibly relaxed his shoulders. Taillow were very docile in the Woods, only opting to fight when provoked and when hungry. And speaking of, it had noticed the remains of the tasty treat right in front of Evan, and seemed to be looking between Evan and the berry. Legend bristled at Taillow's presence, but seemed to be unwilling to bound forward lest it put Evan in danger. What a good pup Legend was. Now it would be up to Evan to figure out how to approach this new guest.

San was sure it was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one, and he couldn't help muttering "you are a bold one, eh?" as the Taillow keened over the berry, with Legend ready to pounce and Evan still frozen.

Evan flinched at the sudden cry and the sound of wings, but by the time he caught it in his peripheral vision it was too late. The bird landed on his shoulder, luckily landing on the strap of his backpack so only one of its claws dug into the skin above his collarbone. Legend hadn’t reacted quickly enough to intercept it, and now it was too close – any attack would probably hit Evan as well.

Evan very slowly relaxed though as it was clear the blue bird meant him no immediate harm. The last thing he wanted was to run into another protective mother so early in the day, but perhaps this one could be reasoned with. “Hello, little one,” he said softly. “Was this your berry?”

Taking one gentle step closer to the berry, Evan slowly lowered his torso until he could reach it with his opposite hand. He winced as something clanked in his backpack, but it drew no reaction from the Taillow. He picked the berry up and raised it to offer to the smug-looking Pokemon on his shoulder. “I wasn’t going to take it, it’s all yours.” He tried to angle it further away from his face, because if it changed its mind about being friendly it could take out an eye before he realized it.
@weirlind120;